The invention relates to a vehicle seat with an airbag assembly, which in particular can be provided in the seatback or the seat part.
Airbag assemblies generally have an airbag module, which includes a housing and in the housing, an airbag and a propellant for inflating the airbag. The airbag module generally is rigidly attached to a structural part such as, for example, a backrest rail or seat frame. The airbag module is accommodated in an airbag pocket, which serves as a force concentration device, in order to direct the unfolded airbag specifically to a tear seam in the outer cover of the vehicle seat, such that the airbag tears the cover at this position and unfolds outwardly.
In this connection, it is known to sew the ends of the airbag pocket on the cover in the area of the tear seam. DE 698 09 194 T2 describes an embodiment in which the ends of the protective pocket are sewn with the ends of the cover parts. In this regard, the design of a common tear seam or a tear-seam system is possible. With other systems, both ends of the airbag pocket are sewn.
The tearing process of the tear seam, however, generally is not without problems. Also, when the tear seam tears, the unfolded airbag can be blocked completely or partially by the foam material of the cushion body. The airbag pocket generally lies directly on the cushion body or in the area of the cushion body, so that the unfolding airbag can be blocked by the cushion body. In the event the airbag during its unfolding is blocked too much by the cushion body or moves under the cover of the seat, the unfolding process can be correspondingly blocked.
In order to enable a premature retention of the tear seam, further embodiments of the airbag pocket with tear belts are known, for example from WO 2010/003407 A1. The tear belts partially destroy the tear seam before contact of the airbag, in order to facilitate the further tearing process. Also, in this connection the airbag pocket, however, can release the area adjoining the cushion body, so that the airbag is moved into the material of the cushion body or is blocked by it during unfolding.